In the 18 months following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, new research reveals that hundreds more babies died than expected. This change came as over a dozen states enacted near-total abortion bans.
A study from Ohio State University, published in JAMA Pediatrics on Monday, examined infant mortality data from before and after the overturn of Roe. The researchers found that overall infant mortality rose by 7% in October 2022, March 2023, and April 2023.
On average, there were about 247 more infant deaths per month during these months than anticipated. Additionally, mortality rates for infants with congenital anomalies increased by 10% in six of those 18 months, leading to roughly 210 additional deaths each month.
Notably, infant mortality rates never dropped below expected levels.
This study is one of several investigating how the end of Roe has impacted the health of babies. In June, another study indicated that after Texas banned abortions past about six weeks of pregnancy, the number of infants dying in their first year of life increased by 13%. That study also noted a rise in deaths among infants with congenital anomalies.
These anomalies can often be detected before birth. In states where abortion remains legal, many parents choose to terminate pregnancies when these conditions are identified, especially if the anomalies are life-threatening. However, in states with abortion bans, this option is no longer available.
Alison Gemmill, the lead author of the June study and an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, emphasized the tragedy of these deaths. She explained that some parents might now be forced to carry a fetus that cannot survive, whereas they previously had the choice to terminate the pregnancy.
The latest study did not provide a breakdown of infant mortality rates by state.
Abortion bans have also raised concerns about the health of pregnant women. Many women across the country have reported being denied medically necessary abortions due to strict regulations.
ProPublica reported that two women, Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, died in Georgia after being unable to obtain legal abortions under the state’s six-week abortion ban.
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